


when you wish upon a star

by lizalilac



Series: Shuake Week 2020 [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, M/M, No Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Pining, Post-Canon, Post-Persona 5: The Royal, Romantic Fluff, Shuake Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:34:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27591436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizalilac/pseuds/lizalilac
Summary: Shuake Week 2020 Day 1 - Hope /Stars/ FantasyIt all started simply enough. Ren invited everyone to come visit his hometown and sleep over at his house – sounds pretty normal, right?So for how extraordinarilynormalthe day’s been, he really does have to question why Ren dragged him onto his feet and out of the house in the ass crack of night.(Or, Ren takes Goro to an empty playground at 2 AM to stargaze.)
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: Shuake Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016964
Comments: 14
Kudos: 78
Collections: Marigolds Discord Recs





	when you wish upon a star

It all started simply enough. Ren invited everyone to come visit his hometown and sleep over at his house – sounds pretty normal, right? Goro thought so too at first, although being around the rest of Ren’s friends without there being any sort of conflict between them certainly felt… odd, to say the least. He wasn’t used to it, but it was nice.

Ren’s parents were out of town, too. They somehow took one look at their entire ragtag group and decided they were trustworthy enough to leave unattended while they weren’t home. Goro wasn’t complaining though, as he wasn’t really sure he could deal with having an entire conversation with Ren’s dad. For how many powerful adults he’s had to deal with all his life, he found that freakishly tall man quite intimidating. Ren said he was a pretty doting father though, so he couldn’t be too bad.

But if his father was apparently doting, his mother was even more so. She gave them all the warmest welcome he’s ever felt, prepared them all an equally warm meal and took a moment to talk to them individually before leaving. Apparently she was really excited to meet the people that made her son so happy when they couldn’t be there for him. Goro thought he felt some sort of tightness in his chest, being regarded with such kindness from a maternal figure. He couldn’t tell if it was the stifling kind or if it was his inner child jumping for joy.

Even still, it came naturally to distance himself from the group while they were busy screaming over video games or bickering at the dinner table. Ren poked and prodded his side frequently, both physically and metaphorically, trying to get him to speak up more often and include himself in the group. He can’t say he didn’t try, though it still felt more pleasant to sit on the sidelines and watch the bullshit happen, rather than being a part of it.

So for how extraordinarily _normal_ the day’s been, he really does have to question why Ren dragged him onto his feet and out of the house in the ass crack of night.

He was about to fall asleep, too. It’s not like he could really be mad at Ren anymore, not when his heart decided it was impossible to maintain anything past fond exasperation for too long, but _still_. Who grabs another person’s hand and drags them out to who-knows-where at 2 am with the only explanation being ‘it’s a surprise’?

Surprisingly enough, he doesn’t mind it too much. Not when it’s Ren.

So he let himself follow Ren blindly, let himself be pulled across empty streets. He’d pretend the warmth of his hand wasn’t making his heart beat abnormally fast. Why’s he still holding Goro’s hand? He couldn’t come up with an explanation for it, but he didn’t question it too much either. It… felt nice.

If he took the opportunity to admire Ren’s soft features under the dim streetlights, well. Ren didn’t have to know that, did he?

Before he knew it, Ren let go of his hand to start climbing up some sort of gate and Goro felt a bunch of alarms go off in his head at once. “What are you doing?!” He whisper-yelled.

“We’re going into the playground, I’ve done this a bunch of times before,” Ren responded, landing onto his feet gracefully on the other side. He turned around to grin at Goro, as if challenging him to do the same. Little shit. “Come on!”

What. Ren stared at him expectantly and Goro stared back, blinking slowly as if trying to defy him. They maintained that for all of ten seconds before Goro heaved a sigh, feeling himself give in as he began to climb over the gate as well. He pretended to ignore the smug look Ren gave him when he landed. _No, shut up, I could totally refuse your challenges if I tried._

He heard a low chuckle beside him, which caught Goro’s attention. “Our stopping point is the other end of the playground, over at that trampoline. First one there has to buy ice cream for the loser in the morning.”

_Ugh, who am I kidding._

“You’re on.”

The beaming smile Ren gave him wiped away any protest that might’ve lingered on his lips beforehand. God, who gave him the right to be so… dare he say, adorable? How could he ever imagine turning him down when he’s like _that_?

Ren got into a starting position, and Goro quickly followed suit. “Ready, set…”

“Go!”

They broke into a sprint at the same time, making sure to stay on their own sides of the path to avoid bumping into each other. Goro felt a smile spread across his face as he ran alongside Ren. This might be the most alive he’s felt all month, feeling the wind hitting his face sharply as he forced himself to go faster than Ren.

The other boy looked just as ecstatic, covering large ground with every step and glancing at Goro every so often to see how he was keeping up. They’re tied the whole way through – neither of them were willing to lose to each other. However, Goro gained the upper hand in the last moment and collapsed beside the trampoline, feeling pure satisfaction running through his veins as Ren groaned loudly. He flopped gracelessly onto Goro, trying to catch his breath but making Goro lose his in the process. Ow.

“Haah, you… you win,” he whispered, looking up at him from his position on Goro’s stomach. He seemed much too comfortable with using it as a pillow. He couldn’t tell what the stronger emotion was at the moment: his triumph, knowing that the ice cream he won will taste sweeter than ever tomorrow, or his love-struck adoration at the sight of Ren looking so unguarded?

He chose to ignore the latter, rubbing his victory in Ren’s face with a smirk. “You owe me some butterscotch ice cream tomorrow.”

The crescent-moon curving of Ren’s eyes as he laughed made butterflies do somersaults in Goro’s stomach. He looked at Goro so _fondly_. What did he do to deserve such a look of pure adoration? What does it even mean? Does he want to question it at all, for that matter? He didn’t know. All he knew is that he wanted to do whatever he could so that Ren kept looking at him like that.

“No worries, the winner will get the ice cream he deserves,” Ren reassured. “Do you wanna go lay on the trampoline? I actually wanted to show you something when I dragged you out here.”

On… the trampoline? Why there? He was admittedly very curious about what Ren had to show him, but why the trampoline?

Well. At this point, why the hell not?

“Alright, let’s do that then.”

Ren’s grin widened even more as he shuffled onto his feet and offered Goro a hand to help him up. He took it, of course. He could’ve gotten up on his own, but was he really going to refuse the opportunity to feel Ren’s hand clasped in his one more time?

He didn’t let go of Goro’s hand while pulling him over to the trampoline, even as he climbed on top of it and laid down on the far side of it. Goro laid down beside him too, staring up at the dark sky illuminated by the moon and the many, many stars scattered all throughout. Wait, stars?

“Woah…” Goro exhaled, feeling the most pleasant sensation of awe spreading through his body and filling his soul like a hearty meal. He’s never seen a sight such as this before, never in Tokyo. All the light pollution there killed any chance of him ever having the opportunity to see something _this_ breathtaking. He could make out constellations so clearly, could see each and every star shining magnificently in their designated positions.

It was beautiful.

Hesitantly, he tore his eyes away from the sky to look over at Ren. If the gentle twinkling of the late night sky made him feel breathless, then the stars in this beautiful, beautiful boy’s eyes made his heart stop. His expression was so full of joy as he gazed at Goro – it was prominent in the dimpling of his cheeks and in the crease in the corners of his eyes that he would’ve missed if he weren’t so adamant about drinking in every last detail.

He was beautiful.

“What do you think?” Ren whispered to him. His grin was even audible when he spoke.

“… It’s breathtaking,” he admitted.

Somehow, that made Ren look even happier, as if he’s been waiting to hear those two simple words all his life. “Isn’t it? This was my go-to spot as a kid when things got a bit rough, when I needed a break from everything. I’d just sneak out here at night, lay down in the grass or on this very trampoline, and stargaze for hours… It never got tiring. In fact, it was really therapeutic.”

The longer Goro stared at Ren, the more he realized how relaxed he looked. He was so used to the tension in Ren’s jaw, or the sharp attentiveness in his gaze, so now… Now that all of that was replaced with this unusually soft, wistful look on his face, it felt like Goro was seeing a whole new side of him. His limbs were usually positioned so carefully, as if he was consciously trying to take up less space, but now there was none of that. He looked _free_.

A year ago, he would’ve been envious if he saw Ren looking so unburdened, but now? It made him feel relieved. He felt relieved that after everything they’ve gone through, Ren was still able to find the strength to put it past him and focus on the present instead of lingering on what he could’ve done. It made Goro want to do better than him and show him up in every way possible so he can prove that he’s come far too. Goro couldn’t help the tiny smile lingering on his lips. Ren truly is perfect as a rival… and a friend.

That title still needs some getting used to, he’ll admit.

“Any particular reason that made you want to bring _me_ here, instead of coming with everyone else?” Goro asked, suddenly quite curious.

Ren blinked in surprise, as if he wasn’t expecting him to ask. He directed his gaze back towards the stars, seeming a bit sheepish as he smiled to himself. “Well… I already told you how special this place was to me. I never really wanted to share this with anyone else, always enjoyed being out here on my own. It was like my own private little bubble, but now… I’ve been thinking more about who I’d want to come here with, if I had to bring anyone. And I decided that if I were to let someone else into this peaceful getaway, I couldn’t imagine it being anyone other than you.”

Oh.

Wait, huh?

Goro stared at him, waiting for it to sink in. This was a special place… and apparently he never took anyone other than Goro here? He could practically feel his brain screaming at him to put the two very obvious pieces together because he _knew_ what that meant, but it still seemed so surreal. Being told so blatantly that he was important enough to Ren that he wanted him around for moments such as these made his heart _yell_. He almost didn’t know what to do with himself.

“Well… I’m glad to hear it,” Goro murmured, wondering when the day will come that his heartbeat doesn’t go wild around Ren. Not like that can happen when he constantly says shit that makes him feel… soft, or whatever. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Anytime!” Ren said, looking back at Goro with a huge grin. Fuck, it’s contagious. Ren’s smile was just so… so bright and pure, it almost made him forget about everything wrong with the world. He could forget about everything he’s done, everything that happened to him, and his fears about everything to come. Nothing mattered in this moment except Ren and the stars above, smiling gently down at them. Strangely poetic of him.

“You wanna know something I used to believe as a kid?” Goro asked, pulling himself out of his thoughts and redirecting the conversation to something else. Because of course he does.

Ren nodded wordlessly, looking at him intently to show that he was listening. As if he were the only thing that existed right now. Or is that just Goro hoping Ren felt the same? Fuck, he was getting lost in thought again. Goro turned his gaze back to the stars instead.

“I had this thought that I focused on to comfort myself, especially when I was still mourning my mother. I thought how… when people die, their souls become one with the sky and they turn into a star. There’s so many up there, and the universe is constantly expanding – who’s to say that all those stars up there aren’t people that lived once upon a time?” Goro explained, then immediately felt his cheeks flush at how childish the thought seemed. “I… definitely don’t think the same now, but it was a comforting thought. Knowing that my mother was up there too, looking down at me with a smile on her face.”

He waited for Ren’s response, incredibly curious about what he thought about it, but he heard nothing. Did he think it was childish too? Well, not like Goro could blame him; he thought it was quite an odd thought too, but for some reason the thought of Ren responding negatively made something in his chest ache–

Yet, when he glanced over at Ren, he was met with the single most awestruck expression. He looked at Goro as if _he_ was the one who hung all the stars in the sky. The ache in his chest was quickly replaced with an indescribable warmth, which grew even warmer when a large smile crept back onto Ren’s lips.

“That’s such a beautiful thought, Goro… I never looked at it like that,” he whispered, then looked back at the stars with a newfound thoughtfulness on his face. “Knowing that people who passed on, whether they were from recent generations or came from a distant time in the past… Knowing that they’re all potentially looking after us is comforting.

“It actually reminds me of someone. I don’t remember him all that well, but my grandpa died when I was little. My parents described him as the kindest soul there ever was; he helped people with any sort of troubles throughout his entire life, gave to any poor or homeless people he met, built nursing homes in his name. He was a great man, and he often looked after me when my parents were away. Thinking about how someone like him could be watching over me is… truly heartwarming.”

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Ren as he spoke. The upturn of his lips was so subtle now, yet remained breathtakingly gentle as ever. His eyes, too, had a sort of nostalgic quality to them as he gazed up at the sky. Thinking back on the times he could remember with his grandpa, perhaps.

Goro wondered if he ever had a similar expression when thinking about his mother.

“Yeah, I get exactly what you mean.”

Ren’s eyes fluttered closed, and although his lips barely had a hint of a smile on them anymore, Goro could still see it in the corners of his eyes and the relaxed tilt of his eyebrows. The conversation tapered off and died down, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable at all. Sometimes, they didn’t even need to speak when they were together. All they needed was each other’s presences.

That’s what Goro loved about being with Ren. He never expected anything of Goro, and vice versa. They could just sit there and share silences like these, doing something as simple as laying together on a trampoline and stargazing, and it would be enough for them. Seems like the owls decided to join them too; he could hear them hooting somewhere nearby. The wind was gently whispering too, rustling tree leaves and grass as it passed by.

His heart felt… calm.

Ren’s quiet voice cut through the silence. “I confess I do not know why, but looking at the stars always makes me dream.”

Goro studied the other’s face carefully, paying close attention to the soft crinkle at the corners of his eyes. “… Are you quoting Van Gogh?”

“Maybe,” Ren murmured, the smile on his face spreading to his lips as he gazed back at him. “Maybe I just think the same way he does.”

“Very poetic, are you now?” He replied, a soft chuckle escaping him.

Ren responded with a small, breathy laugh of his own. “Truly one of my best qualities, I’d say.”

Before he knew it, Goro was laughing even harder. He instinctively inched closer to Ren, close enough to rest his head on the other’s shoulder. It felt so… _intimate_. But honestly, everything about this was quite intimate, now that he thought about it. He felt Ren move his arm around Goro to pull him closer, causing his heart to skip a beat. It didn’t help that he leaned his head against Goro’s, then fucking _nuzzled his nose into his hair._ His heart skipped another beat.

“… Hey, Ren?”

“Mmhm?”

Goro tilted his head up a bit to be able to look at him properly, pretending his heart didn’t start racing at the close proximity. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, trying to figure out how to phrase this without it sounding overly sappy. He’s _not_ a sappy person. Definitely not.

“I… I’m really glad that we met.”

He watched Ren blink down at him for a bit, as if waiting for it to register. But when it finally hit him, Goro couldn’t describe the smile that took over his expression as anything other than _beaming_ ; his eyes were crescent moons, gently curved from the wide, lopsided grin on his face and the rising of his soft cheeks. He wrapped his arms around Goro even tighter than before, holding him close to his chest as if he were the single most precious thing he’s ever had. He felt himself smile as he listened to the quick, yet steady _thump, thump, thump_ of Ren’s heartbeat.

“I’m really glad I met you too,” Ren whispered into his hair, almost as if he was sharing a secret meant for no one else but Goro. He buried his face further into Ren’s chest to hide his grin. He thought he understood now what people meant when they said they were on cloud nine.

They settled back into that comfortable silence of theirs, but the only difference was that now they were way, _way_ closer than they’ve ever been. He felt Ren’s head shifting so he could look up, followed by a quiet gasp.

“Goro, look!”

He followed Ren’s gaze and felt his breath hitch. A shooting star…

“Make a wish,” he urged Goro, shaking his arm gently. A wish, huh? He’s never wished upon a star before, but trying to come up with one on the spot was quite difficu—

Oh.

_I wish for more moments like these with Ren._

**Author's Note:**

> hell yes, i managed to write something for shuake week !! i swear, i saw the star prompt and went "!!!! yes!! perfect!!" because i've been meaning to write something like this for a while. writing something super fluffy was a much-needed break from a larger project i've been working on, so i really hope you all enjoyed reading as much as i enjoyed writing it nwn!!


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